P: 800-368-3227 E: academic_affairs@vuu.edu
Dr. Ted Ritter is the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. Prior to this appointment as Dean, Ritter served as a Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Political Science.
“Dr. Ritter is committed to the success of our students and VUU,” Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, President and CEO stated. “His forward-thinking strategies will continue to help expand our academic programs and provide the rigor and career preparation that our students need and deserve.”
Ritter is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a J.D. and a Ph.D. in Political Science. He is a former prosecutor and served five years as the Executive Coordinator of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council. Ritter says has used that experience “to help create a Pre-Law program at VUU and hopes to see the program grow.” Prior to working at VUU, Ritter was a faculty member at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and the University of Richmond.
“As the largest of the academic schools, Arts and Sciences can be the nucleus for new programs and expanded opportunities,” Ritter said. “I look forward to working with our outstanding faculty in revising and updating our curriculum, increasing the application and receipt of additional grant funds, enhancing programs to foster greater retention, and increasing graduation rates.”
Currently the School of Arts and Sciences houses ten Departments that comprise academic disciplines including:
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In addition to these academic departments, the School also contains the Military Science (ROTC) program and the new Hezekiah Walker Center for Sacred Music.
Despite this number of programs in the School, Ritter says the future will bring new and enhanced programs for students. “Dr. Lucas has announced a vision for Arts and Sciences that includes the creation of a College of Arts and Sciences that will provide for additional Schools to be created under the Arts and Sciences banner,” Ritter stated. “These include a School of Allied Health, a School of Policy, Law and Social Justice, the School of Humanities and Fine Arts, an expanded and reimagined School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and the recently launched School of Latin American and Caribbean Studies.”
“I am excited about the opportunities for Arts and Sciences,” Ritter said. “Dr. Lucas has a bold vision for the future of Virginia Union and our faculty and students will be at the forefront of creating a university that is truly Best in Class.”
Mission
The School of Arts and Sciences is committed to providing a high-quality education in the multiple disciplines offered with the capability to pursue rewarding professional careers and/or graduate studies across a variety of professions requiring expertise in their chosen field of study. The School of Arts and Sciences provides a supportive learning environment for its diverse population of students and offers instruction that employs cutting-edge technology for student involvement in undergraduate research and internships. The School of Arts and Sciences is committed to fostering partnerships with business, education, industry, government, local and global agencies that will strengthen and enhance the academic and professional development of its students.
Vision
The School of Arts and Sciences will set the standard for a liberal arts education in the twenty-first century. We are committed to creating and sustaining the conditions that enable the School of Arts and Sciences students to experience an unparalleled educational voyage that is intellectually, socially, and personally transformative.
Goals
The major goals of the School of Arts and Sciences is to achieve a broad-based knowledge of basic core concepts in the arts and sciences with general as well as specialized knowledge of over-arching interdisciplinary principles, techniques and procedures that enable students to meet the present and future challenges of a complex and dynamic workplace. Graduates of the School of Arts and Sciences will be able to think critically and analytically about issues specific to their discipline and apply these skills in an academic or applied environment.
Departments
The School of Arts and Sciences is the largest academic unit at the university. It consists of ten academic departments including, Computer Information Systems and Computer Science, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Fine Arts,
History and Political Science, Languages and Literature, Mass Communications, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Work, and Psychology. Graduates from the School of Arts and Sciences may receive the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree in any of these academic departments depending on the program of study. We also offer minors in many related areas. Our Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and students graduating from this program receive a Baccalaureate degree in Social Work (BSW). The School of Arts and Sciences collaborates with the Evelyn Reid Syphax School of Education and Interdisciplinary Studies to offer additional academic preparation for students desirous of teaching Biology, Chemistry, English, History/Social Studies, and Mathematics in secondary schools.
Degrees
The Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degrees are offered in the following major areas:
Programs
Minors
Scholarships are available in Languages and Literature from the Kennedy Foundation for the Arts, and in Political Science from the Julian Bond Foundation. Please see your academic advisor for specific requirements to apply for these scholarships.
The George Powell Scholarship for Academic Achievement in the Sciences or Mathematics- Established by Dr. Angela T. Powell, Class of 1985 in honor of her father, who attended and taught at VUU for a junior or senior student majoring in biology, chemistry, natural science or math to help defray the cost of applying to professional school
Virginia Union’s Community, Culture, Research Scholarship (CCR Scholars). A scholarship offered to academically talented students with financial need pursuing bachelor of science degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Natural Sciences. Click here to apply.
The Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) project addresses the growing shortage of qualified and competent STEM majors by strengthening course curricula through the infusion of critical thinking through technology (CTTT). Virginia Union University, like partnering institutions, serves large minority and underrepresented populations. The majority of students from VUU and the partnering institutions come from socially, economically, culturally and academic disadvantaged backgrounds, and qualify for the Pell Grant and other financial assistance. Minorities, as well known from current statistics, represent only a minute fraction of the sparse population of qualified scientists, engineers, doctors, etc. in our country. Thus, the STEM programs at VUU and these institutions provide a national advantage to potential STEM majors through easy accessibility and other similar factors. Through the MSEIP grant, faculty participants in the workshops were able to develop resource manuals for their courses that utilized critical thinking and teaching methodology to address the critical thinking abilities of the STEM students at VUU.